


Life.

by BookLabrynth



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst, Divorce, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual, Sensitive subjects, bughead - Freeform, single father Jughead, single mother Betty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookLabrynth/pseuds/BookLabrynth
Summary: Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones would smile as they passed each other in the school hallways.One time at a party they almost kissed. Almost.And then Betty moved to New York City right after graduation and Jughead went off to college. They never kept in touch, they didn’t even have each other on Facebook.Life had took them down two separate paths.What will happen when they meet 8 years down the line.Will they ever get that kiss?——Warning as this fic will cover a lot of touchy subjects. Very angsty. If that’s not you or if you feel you may be triggered then please do not read.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Bret Weston Wallis, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones/Donna Sweett
Comments: 43
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

Betty Cooper

There was no love lost when Elizabeth Weston-Wallis discovered her husband Brett had been cheating on her. It had been a marriage of convenience, arranged by their parents. The Coopers needed the good, well reputable Weston-Wallis name after their oldest daughter had gotten pregnant with bastard twins and ran off to join a cult. And the Weston-Wallis family needed Betty's good girl image to help mend Bretts bad reputation. 

Everything, down to what dress Betty wore had been decided on before she even graduated high school. Not that they asked her what she wanted, Betty had simply come home from school one day and it had already been decided. She decided not to fight it because her parents had been controlling her whole life, why stop now.

It wasn’t the fact that Brett made her give up cheerleading, or her friends, or the fact that he told her it wasn’t necessary’ for her to go to college that pissed her off the most, it was the fact that he had taken up calling her Elizabeth, even when she asked him not to. Even when she told him how condescending she found it. “Can you please just call me, Betty?” She asked him at the rehearsal dinner, to which he smirked and proceeded to introduce her as Elizabeth to his relatives. And that was it. Fun loving, giggling, comic book reading, car fixing, mystery solving Betty Cooper was dead. And in her place grew Elizabeth Weston-Wallis, a small, shy young woman who smiled at all the right moments and just done what was expected of her, no questions. 

She had lost her virginity to him on their wedding night, just as she was supposed to. And just as everyone expected, Betty got pregnant pretty much straight away, at the tender age of 19. She had named him Charlie after her brother, which was her moms idea. He was blonde haired and blue eyed and everything anyone with Cooper genes should be. They moved to New York for some big work opportunity for Brett and pretty soon after Alice and Hal Cooper followed behind, cutting all ties to the little town of Riverdale. 

Alice Cooper frowned when she found out her daughter was once again pregnant, just after her sons first birthday. “Have you no control, Elizabeth?” Having no idea of how her husband would pressure her into fucking every night. Because that’s what it was - fucking. He had never once made love to her. He would climb over Elizabeth, trapping her in between himself and the mattress and he would tell her she needed to service her husband like a good wife, regardless of the fact that she was exhausted and still healing. Would her mother even care if she did know?

So by the age of 22 Elizabeth was stuck in this loveless marriage, caring for her two young boys pretty much on her own. Brett tried talking her into getting help at which Elizabeth, surprising herself, had actually put her foot down, “I can take care of my own children Brett.” 

The decision to leave him hadn’t been when Brett had grabbed her arm so hard during an argument that it left a bruise, or when he would come home smelling of another woman. It hadn’t been the way he would constantly put her down in front of the kids. Her brain slowly started making a plan the first time she saw Brett raise a hand to their youngest, Samual, he was just 3 at the time. Unlike his older brother, Samual was loud and outgoing, always bouncing around the place singing or causing havoc and often setting Charlie off too. His mom loved it about him. His dad however, couldn’t tolerate it. Brett didn’t know how to handle or control the boys, and often lost his temper. He would yell and discipline them with time outs. But Elizabeth didn’t think he would ever actually lay a finger on either one of those boys. 

The final straw had been when Brett came home drunk, one late April night. Elizabeth had just finished putting the boys, now 6 and 4, to bed and was making her way down the stairs when he had stumbled through the front door. He looked her up and down with lazy eyes and she scoffed, coming down the last few steps and trying to squeeze past him. Bretts hand caught Elizabeth’s wrist and tugged her near to him and pressed her into the console table at the bottom of the stairs.

“Stop. Brett. Stop.” She said trying to push him off her, rattling the table against the wall. “Please. The boys. They’ll hear.” But it was no good. He was too used to getting his own way. And so Betty decided right then and there, her face pressed against the wall, as her husband took her roughly from behind, pretty certain her sons could hear, that she was going to leave her husband. She was going to take her kids and move back to Riverdale. 

It had taken her a little longer than she had hoped. Elizabeth had a some money hidden away from when her uncle had passed, blood money Brett had called it, told her she weren’t ever to spend a penny. But she had never worked, which she now recognised as a way for Brett to control her, so most her money was his. So every couple of days, over the next 2 months, she would take a little cash out and hide it in her toiletry cabinet in the bathroom. Never enough to cause suspicion. But enough that she eventually had enough for bus tickets back to Riverdale for her and the boys, and a couple weeks stay in a shitty motel near the Southside. 

She planned on using the blood money to get a place for them, enrolling them in school so she could get a job and tie them over each month. But two days before she planned on leaving, she sat in the cold bathroom, test in hand, weeping. Asking why did this have to happen right now? Why did she have to get pregnant right now?! But she never let it deter her. If anything it gave her even more motivation. She had to get herself and her children away from this toxic environment.  
That’s how she ended up where she is today. Charlie 7 years old, Samual 5, and baby Rosie just 6 weeks old, born exactly 3 days into this new year. The 4 of them in a cramped 2 bedroom apartment, Charlie and Sam in one room, herself and Rosie in the other. Not long after running away, Betty received a visit from her mother, it hadn’t been hard to figure out where she had gone. Alice just wanted to stop by to tell her daughter of how humiliated she had left the family. “You’ve causes a lot of embarrassment for me and your father, Elizabeth. For Brett too. He was so very angry that u had left.” She had warned her that she too had now been disowned, much like her older sister had been. But when she sat and thought about it, it was probably the best thing to have ever happened to her. 

Once Elizabeth had the boys enrolled at school, she was quick to bump into old school friends, people she hadn’t seen or heard from since her marriage. They where all sympathetic of the pregnant, single mother. She was fearful at first, worried she would be judged, but she was welcomed back without a hitch. The separation from their father not seeming to bother the boys too much, which Betty took as a sign that she had done the right thing. Both Sam and Charlie where quick to make friends, one of which seemed to be the son of someone Elizabeth was on the cheer team with in high school. So Veronica seemed to just take her under her wing. And not before long, she was Betty Cooper again. 

Jughead Jones

There where 3 months exactly between Freddie Andrews and Isabella Jones. Their parents tried to keep them close from birth, god only knew that Jughead Jones, single father, could use the support.

You see, Jughead and Donna where never a match made in heaven. They met in high school and instantly hated each other. They met again in junior year of college and hated each other a little less. They had sex a couple times and Donna ended up falling pregnant just weeks before they graduated.

“You can’t seriously expect me to keep it.” She yelled at him in his tiny one bed dorm. 

“It? You mean my child? There is no way in hell I am letting you abort my baby.” Donna had made her feelings on the matter pretty clear. And it’s funny because, up until that moment Jughead had always been pro-choice. But it was like a switch had been flipped inside him, and from that first glance of possibility, the chance of having a family, he just couldn’t let that go. 

“Are you sure you want to do this Jug? It’s such a huge responsibility. Not to mention what your asking her to do.” Ronnie had begged him to think it through, her hand resting protectively on her own small, barely noticeable bump. 

“I already can’t imagine anything different.” Jughead looked into his best friends eyes, and pleaded for him to understand. 

Archie, Jughead and Veronica had been friends for years. Even when Jughead went off to college and Archie stayed behind to manage his late fathers construction company, and Veronica ran whatever enterprise she was doing at the time, they all stayed close. When Archie had first wanted to propose, it was Jughead he had called for advice. But being so close for so long also meant that they had to bare witness to all of each other’s hardships. They had watched as Jughead’s family fell apart just as they started high school, and they had watched him push every girl he ever dated away in fear of getting hurt like that again. 

Therefor “Ok. I’ll ask my mom,” was all Archie had said on the matter.

So he spoke to Mary Andrews, who gave him every piece of advice she had to offer. It took a lot of convincing and even more tears and so much arguing (and then some more tears and name calling) but eventually it had been decided. Donna would carry the child and upon delivery, would relinquish all parental rights, leaving Jughead to take over as sole care giver to their tiny, olive skinned, dark haired baby girl. 

Everyone had been surprisingly supportive. He knew it was going to be a struggle raising her on his own, and he felt like he was going to be paying off her medical bills for the rest of his life. But as he counted down the weeks until he got to bring his baby home to his newly leased 2 bedroom apartment - when he held her for the very first time, he knew the world was a better place now that Isabella Jones was in it. 

And so that’s how life went for Jughead. He found a half decent job writing from home that fit in nicely with raising Bella, he tried to take her to as many play groups as he could stand - determined for her to be the bubbly outgoing child he never was. And the days all just somehow came one after another, and before he knew it, he was 26 years old and certain he had never been in love. He could count on one hand the amount of friends he had and could name more nursery rhymes than top 40 hits. 

Since Donna, Jughead had only ever been with one other woman. A one night stand about 2 and a half years ago. Archie had hounded him to go out with him for his birthday and he had hesitantly agreed. After drinking no more than a beer or two for so long, and then drinking so much in such little time, by midnight he was trashed and hooking up with the girl that had smiled at him at the bar. Quick and dirty, up against the toilet stall. No protection, like a fucking idiot. 

The next day when Jug had gone to collect Isabella from Veronica, the tiny human had ran to him with open arms and he scooped her up into a tight embrace. “I missed you, darling.” Jughead told her, and he really had. And if he wasn’t feeling guilty enough, Bella leaned back to examine her father, taking in his rough appearance, her little hand came up to the purple mark his lover had left on his neck and she proclaimed, “Ouch” clearly mistaking the hickey for a bruise. 

“That can’t be happening again Archie.” Jughead told his red headed friend, “I can’t be leaving my daughter to go off and get laid.” And Archie left it at that, instead inviting him round for beers and play dates with the kids.

Every so often, Veronica would come and take Isabella for a couple hours, claiming she needed some ‘girl time’ whatever that meant. He was always grateful for the chance to catch up on any slacking work, shower alone, throw on some laundry. And he also knew it was good for his daughter to have a female influence in her life. It was after one of those “girls days” that Jughead found himself sitting at the dining table of Archie and Veronica Andrews, sipping a beer and listening to the scurry of little feet as Isabella and Freddie played above them.

“So um, something happened today” Veronica broached cautiously.

“Oh yeah?” Jughead replied with feigned amusement.

“Isabella called her, Mommy.” Archie interjected after catching Veronicas for help.

“Pft.” He scoffed, taking a swig of his beer, feeling slightly disheartened, embarrassed even that his own kid didn’t understand something as simple as who her mother was. “And what did you say to that?”

“She didn’t get a chance to say anything. Freddie jumped in and told her Ronnie was his mommy, not hers. He was brutal, told Bella that she didn’t have a mommy” The red head told him. 

“Which we scolded him for straight away. Made him apologise, she was still a little upset though.” Ronnie was clearly embarrassed herself at her sons harsh words. 

“Well... he was right.” Jughead eventually admitted. 

“Jughead! They are 4 years old!”

“I don’t know what else you want me to say. She’s never brought it up before.” Jug said, because she hadn’t. Her curious little mind had never once asked where her mother was. 

“Well she is in school now, she is going to notice that somethings different and she’s going to start asking.” ‘I know that, V’ Jughead thought to himself, starting to get irritated. It’s not as if he can tell a 5 year old that her mom isn’t around because she had wanted to abort her. He needs to start thinking up a story to explain things to Isabella in a easier way. 

“Maybe it’s time you started dating again, bro.” Suggested Archie, snapping Jughead from his thoughts. 

“And how am I supposed to do that? “Excuse me miss would you like to go to dinner with me? We would have to make it early as kids aren’t allowed in past 6.” Great pick up line, Arch.”

“You know we would love to have Bella stay over!”

“Nah. Not worth the hassle.” Jughead decided, and that was final.

“But you deserve to be happy, Jug.” Veronica said in a sad defeat. 

“Well that’s never going to happen is it, Ronnie. I’m too busy trying to raise my fucking kid.” 

Later on that evening he was combing Isabella's damp curls after her bath, and getting her ready for bed, thinking about how much his life had changed, and in turn how much he had changed. 

“Daddy? Why am I here?” Bella’s soft voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“What do you mean, baby.”

“Why do I live with you and not a mommy?” The mommy thing must really be playing on her mind, he thought. 

“What, don’t you like living with your Daddy or something?” Jug joked, trying to keep the conversation light. 

“Well... maybe if I lived with a mommy, then you could be happy.” The sadness in her voice was evident and he stopped combing her hair so he could turn her around to look at him.

“Isabella, why on earth would you think that?” Jughead asked as he fought back a lump in his throat and swept his little girl up into his arms.

“I heard you tell Archie and Ronnie that you cant be happy because your my daddy.” Her little voice trailed off into tears as she covered her eyes with her tiny hands and buried her face into her fathers chest. 

“Baby, I don’t know how much you overheard. But that was a grown up conversation. Things don’t always mean how they sound.” He kissed the top of her raven locks, his arms completely enveloping her small body in a tight hug, her arms coming up around his neck as she cried into his sweatshirt. “But I’m sorry you heard that. I don’t want you thinking I’m unhappy, or that I don’t love you. I love you so much, Bella. You mean everything to daddy, you know that, right sweetie?”

“And you said a bad word too, Daddy.” At that he chuckled and stroked her hair.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

They stayed like that for a while, or until she drifted off to sleep. That is when he would usually dip out, but not tonight. Instead he just looked at her little face, both peaceful and tear stained all at the same time. Jughead gently brushed a couple stray hairs from her face and whispered “You’re the only family I’ve ever had, Bella.” 

So a couple days later, at the park with Ronnie and the kids, Jughead brought it up. “I’ve been thinking about it.” Veronica looked at him and waited, waving her hands a little as if to say ‘continue’  
“Dating. And maybe me trying to find someone is what Bella needs. I’m not saying I’m going to go out there and find her a new mother, but at least so she doesn’t have to watch her old man wallow away in self pity and solitude.”

“That’s great, Jughead. Really. I’ll um, I’ll keep an eye out.” Veronica smirked to herself, knowing all along who she wanted to set him up with.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one has double the dialogue and half the angst. I hope you enjoy it all the same.
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated.

“Maybe it’s time we had another one of these, Ronnie.” Archie said while looking down on little baby Rosie, sleeping peacefully in his arms.

“Yeah, hon. As long as you are planning on carrying and birthing it.” Veronica joked, earning an eye roll from her husband, he’ll wear her down soon enough.

“Betty where does all this red hair come from?!” Veronica asked, running her hand through the fluffy strawberry blonde her on top of her daughters little head. A flare of red in the sea of blond hair that is Betty's little family portrait.

“Ugh. My dads side of the family. Her father would have a heart attack.” Betty said, joking at first but then trailing off at the mention of her husband.

“Has he not seen her?” Betty just shook her head, hopeful that the other girl would drop it, and grateful when she did.

Veronica had kindly invited Betty and the boys over for lunch on Saturday, she had been under the impression it would just be them and her, but when she got there she was met with another familiar face. 

Jughead Jones. She remembered him from high school. They had a couple classes together and once, at a party senior year, before her mother had her betrothed, they had almost kissed. They had seen each other since but neither one ever mentioned the almost-kiss. Betty was pretty sure she had seen him around town once or twice since she had been back, but they had never really spoken. Now here he was with a child of his own. “Betty you remember, Jughead?” Veronica had introduced them. “Bella has just started kindergarten with Freddie and Samual.” She had told her.

In the end, Betty was glad she had decided to come over. She was debating if it was a good idea at first. But V and Archie had been completely besotted with Rosie, leaving her to join in and play some games with the kids, which she had really missed. Betty often felt quite guilty that she had had less time on her hands for one on one time with the boys since the baby had been born. So much had changed for them so quickly. It was nice to see them getting excited and competitive as they played Twister with the two other children. 

“So, what do you think of Betty? You remember her from high school right?” Veronica asked Jughead while Betty was preoccupied with the kids.

“Yeah I remember. She’s nice.” Jughead looked over his shoulder to make sure she wasn’t in hearing distance. “Don’t think I don’t know what your up to though Ronnie.”

“And what exactly is that?” She retaliated in a mock whisper. 

“Veronica,” he said almost disappointingly “She literally just had a baby.”

“Yes but it’s been like 9 months since she left her husband. And she really needs the friends right now Jug. There’s no harm in friends is there?”

“I guess not.” He said, watching his best friend with the still so tiny, red haired baby, ignoring the adult conversation all together. He always was a sucker when it came to babies.

“Bella, no!” Freddie’s little yell, reaching from the living room to the dining room, caught the attention of all three adults just as the little girl came running towards Jughead, Freddie following behind, tattling on her. “Juggie! She called Betty, Mommy!”

Jughead looked up with surprise evident of his face and found Betty standing in the doorway looking embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. She has a problem with that apparently.” He told her with a nervous jolt to his voice, as he stroked the back of his daughters head.

“Oh no. Don’t apologise. I know how kids can be.” Betty replied, motioning behind her shoulder with her thumb to her two boys who where currently playfully wrestling, debating who was the biggest ‘butt-head’. This quickly caught the attention of both Freddie and Bella and they ran off giggling, to join in with the fun, situation quickly averted. 

Later that night, with his daughter tucked peacefully in her bed, Jughead decided it was probably time he sat with Isabella and tried to explain things to her about her mom, in a child friendly way. So he done what he does best. He pulled his laptop out from under the coffee table, and he wrote a story about a boy who was lost and alone in the world. And then, when he was grown, a fairy came down and told him he could have a little girl all of his own. Some one to bring happiness and laughter and light into his dark world. But when the boy asked about the mother, the fairy simply said “she is not made for this fairy tale. You will take this little girl and give her all the love you have to give. And just hope that she can live happily never knowing who her mother is, but knowing that she loved her enough to allow her this life.” 

“The story is about you Bella.” He had told her when he finished reading it, the both of them sat on her single bed, father next to daughter. 

“Am I the fairy?” She had asked innocently.

“No. Your the little girl, Isabella. And Daddy is the lost boy.” Watching her eyes twinkle as she tried to think about the story and what it meant for her.

“So won’t I ever have a Mommy, Daddy?” Bella eventually asked. 

“No, baby.” Jughead said in a solemn voice as he scooped her up into his arms and sat her on his knee. “And I’m sorry. But the part about the little girl bringing all the light, and laughter and happiness. That is so true sweetheart. Love is something you will never, ever go short of Isabella. Everybody around you loves you.” Jughead looked down on Isabella, clearly still thinking it over, he doesn’t think she quite got what the point of the story was, but she will as she gets older hopefully. 

“One thing I need you to do though.” He broached carefully, tilting her little chin so she looked up at him. “You can’t keep calling people Mommy, Belles.”

“But why Daddy?” Isabella asked sadly.

“Well you wouldn’t like it if Freddie started calling me Daddy would you?”

“But he already has a Daddy.”

“Ok then. Well what about Samual, or Charlie. The boys you where playing with yesterday. They don’t get to see their Daddy. Would you like it if they called me Daddy.” The little girl shook her raven curls. “Well then there you go.” With that he kissed the top of her head and tucked her into bed and headed for the door.

“But Daddy?” Bella’s gentle voice called. Jughead turned so she knew he was listening. “What if you where mine and Sam and Charlie’s Daddy and then Betty was the Mommy all at the same time?” 

“It just doesn’t work that way, Isabella.” And so Jughead turned the light off and bid his daughter good night, heading back into the living room and collapsing on the sofa. Betty had certainly changed since high school, sure in a physical way, she had more curves while seeming more drawn in all at the same time, but she had also lost that little twinkle in her eyes that always drawn him to her. Jughead thought about what a life with Betty could mean. A house full of kids. Betty doing their homework with them at the kitchen table while he typed away at his computer in the corner. Laughter. Fun and games. 

But he knew life was never that easy. Things got in the way. Things like husbands. Insecurities and all the other things that would come from blending a family together like that. And what if Donna suddenly came back. He knew the chances where slim to none, but he can’t lie and say he wouldn’t fall heart first into a relationship with her for Isabella’s benefit. Jughead knew that wouldn’t be fair on anyone, and it wouldn’t last either. But a small part of his brain will always hope that one day Donna would want to meet Isabella, and be grateful that Jughead had stopped her from having the abortion. 

A guy can hope. Right?

“Mommy?” A little voice woke Betty from what she felt was the best sleep she had had in weeks. 

“Charlie? What are you doing up? Did you have a nightmare baby?” Betty asked, wondering what on earth her son was doing awake and stood next to her bed, peering down at her.

“Will we ever see Daddy again?” Betty sighed, sitting up and trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at the clock, noting that she had only been asleep for 25 minutes since settling a fussy Rosie down. Half asleep, she swung her legs off the side of the bed, patting the mattress next to her, signalling for him to climb up and join her, which he happily did. 

“Do you want to see your Dad again, Charlie?” He nodded his head ‘yes’, then quickly shook it ‘no’ as if changing his mind.

“I don’t know. We’ve been gone a long time. What if he’s angry?” At that Betty shook her head. Maybe he was old enough to know why she had removed them from that situation. 

“I never planned on telling you this. But, Charlie. Your Daddy hurt Mommy. That’s why we left. Before he could ever hurt you or your brother or sister.” She watched him as he played with the edge of his pyjama pants leg. 

“I know, Mommy.” Charlie whispered to her, as if concealing a secret.

“You know?”

“Yeah. He hurt me too.” Betty’s heart rate picked up, suddenly incredibly aware of how dry her throat was. Everything seemed to be a little hazy, as if she was still dreaming. In that moment all she can think of is the anger that took over her body. But Betty took a deep breath and tried to keep calm.

“When did this happen?”

“I don’t remember. I just remember he hit me and it hurt. And he said if I told you, you would be really upset and that it would be my fault. I didn’t want to make you upset.”

“Baby that’s not true. He was just trying to protect himself, he knew I would be really mad at him if I ever found out. I am upset that you didn’t tell me though, Charlie. You know you you can tell me anything, I love you so much.” She put an arm around his shoulder and held him close to her.

“Didn’t Daddy love us? Is it because we where bad?”

“Oh sweetheart. Don’t think like that ok. Your Daddy was given everything from such a young age. He couldn’t understand other people. And it sometimes made him cruel. And that’s not your fault, that was all on him. You never done anything wrong ok. But Charlie. People who love us. They wouldn’t ever hurt us like that. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Betty’s mind was racing so fast she was really trying her best to think of how to explain it in a way a 7 year old would understand. 

“I think so.”

“Good. Do you wanna sleep in here tonight?” He nodded. “Fine. Climb in. Try and get some sleep. Baby Rosie will probably be up soon.”

“Mommy?”

“Yeah, Charlie?”

“Do you love Archie?” At that she giggled. Her sweet innocent boy.

“He’s married Charlie.”

“Well, what about Jughead?”

“Just go to sleep please.” She tried to silence him.

“Well. He’s a nice Daddy anyway.” He spoke into the night air before drifting off to sleep.

As Betty lay there, unable to fall back into a slumber, she fought to keep the sobs that wracked her body at bay, lest she wake her sleeping child. Her first born. The one who had made her a mother. How could she have failed him so? How didn’t she notice this had happened. What if it had happened to Samual too? She should of left sooner. That first time he had grabbed her, when the anger about this life that they both had been forced to live really started to show its face, that’s when she should of left.

She couldn’t even bare the thought of what could of happened if she stayed. Would it of gotten worse? How would Brett have reacted to finding out she had gotten pregnant with Rosie? Did he know already and just not care? Her mother had said he had wiped his hands of her, did that stand for their children too? She hoped so.

She thought about what Charlie had said about Jughead. And he was right. He was really good with his daughter. But she also knew that Isabella's mom wasn’t in the picture, surely he must be hurting right now. He doesn’t need her and her drama and her 3 children adding to that.

During her time with Brett, she had found comfort in food. He would always be on at her to keep her figure. “Maybe you should skip breakfast today.” He would tell her in that patronising tone he often took on when it came to her. But little did he know as soon as he left, she would eat a full breakfast, give it 10 minutes then lock herself in the bathroom and force herself to throw up the evidence. She would stand in front of the mirror and look at all the flaws, stretch marks and scars, and Brett would say “I’m going to pay for you to get liposuction.” Of course she always politely declined and he would tut at her.

“Maybe next year.” She would say.

Deep down Betty knew it was all part of the emotional and psychological abuse she had endured over the years, but she had such a hard time forgetting all the things he would say to her. Consequently, she had a terrible relationship with her body. She hated it. And she had a hard time believing anybody else could love it either. 

“Who would ever love someone like me anyway?” Was the last thought that went through her mind before she fell back into a doze. When the baby woke an hour later, she was grateful for how quick she fed and fell back off to sleep so she could finally get a couple hours in before the day ahead. 

Betty and Jughead quickly built a steady routine over the next couple of weeks. She doesn’t know how it started, but Jughead would wait for her at the school gates and walk the long way home so he could walk Betty and the boys to the end of their block. Some times Veronica would join them with Freddie, sometime Archie would pick him up in the car and they would walk alone. Taking it in turns to push Rosie in the stroller while the other acted a fool with the kids, pretending to race them to make them walk a little faster. Sometimes they would stop off at pops and Jughead would treat the kids (despite Betty’s insistence that he didn’t have to do that) or they would all get ice cream from the little cart in the park and Betty would treat (despite _Jughead’s _insistence that _she _didn’t have to do _that _). But mostly they would just talk. Share horror stories from those newborn days. And talk about those ‘remember when’ moments from high school.______

______It was May, around the time Betty had brought the kids over for Bella’s birthday, that the conversations started to shift to more serious topics._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you ever just wish you had never met Isabella’s Mom?” Betty asked one afternoon, holding back tears as they sat on a park bench watching their children playing together._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well no. Because then I wouldn’t have Bella.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It must make me a pretty shitty Mom then, huh?” Wiping away a single stray tear._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey no. You’re brilliant, Betts. Raising three kids on your own isn't an easy thing to do. I can only imagine how bad things must of been for you to choose that.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It was about the only choice I had made for myself in years.” Betty trailed off before catching herself. “Shit, I’m sorry. I have no right to ask you something like that.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey, it’s fine. I know your going through a hard time.” Jughead took a chance and put his hand on her knee, bare in her jean shorts. He seen her eyes flash to where his hand rested against her skin he hoped she knew he only meant to comfort her. “I don’t know what went on between you and your husband. But you know if you went back and changed it, none of them would be here, and that would be such a shame. They pretty great.” Jug said the last part with a smile, and she smiled back. A beautiful smile, one he had only ever seen when she had been playing with the kids, unaware of anyone watching her._ _ _ _ _ _

______His eyes dropped to look at her lips and he doesn’t know who moved first but next minute they’re kissing. A soft, brief kiss. But as he pulls away he knows he will never forget how her lips felt against his._ _ _ _ _ _

______But the elation of the moment is gone when he opens his eyes and finds her wiping away a tear._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m sorry.” Betty said, collecting her things and pushing Rosie over to where the kids where taking turns going down the slide ignoring him as he trailed behind her. “Charlie. Samual. Come on, we’re going home.” She spoke above their protests, avoiding Jughead’s gaze._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey Betty, you don’t have to leave. We can just forget about it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah we will forget about it Jughead. Because me and you. We can never be together, and you know it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______As she stalked off in the direction of home, he heard Samual ask his mother, “Mommy, did you and Jughead have a fight?” He couldn’t hear her answer, but he hoped it was no._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I originally said 2 or 3 chapter but I currently have an outline for 6 chapter. We will just see how I get on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you will enjoy how this one ends ❤️
> 
> As always I apologise for any errors, and I appreciate those who take time to read it!

Chapter 3

“Why did he have to go and kiss her? It’s so much easier to live without something when you don’t know what your missing. Your such a fucking idiot Betty. Now I’ll never forget how it feels to kiss him. You’ve gone and ruined it now, Betty. ” So many thoughts scurried around her head as she marched her way back home, her boys trailing behind her. 

“Can we go the park with Bella again tomorrow, Mommy?” Samual asked.

“No.” She replied abruptly. “you’re always ruining everything” her husbands voice echoed inside her head.

“But why?” Sam retaliated.

No answer. 

“Why?”

“Mommy?” Charlie joined in as well as Alice Coopers condescending tone started invading Betty’s thoughts “I told you you wouldn’t be able to cope. You know that now, don’t you Elizabeth?” She would say.

Still no answer as Betty put her key in the door. “Do you really think he would ever have any kind of feelings for someone as fucked up as you?” Her minds voice spat.

“Mommy?” 

As she unlocks the door and pushes it open, herding all three kids inside. “Jughead is such a nice guy, what would he want with me?”

“Mommy?” And again, no answer as she takes their coats and moves into the dining room. 

“Mommy?” Charlie followed behind her, pushing her over the edge.

Betty threw the pile of coats onto one of the chairs at the cheap wooden dining table. “What, Charlie?” She raised her voice and spoke more sternly than she had probably ever spoken to him before, instantly feeling guilty as his shoulders dropped and she seen the fear in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured before walking briskly into the lounge with his head hung low. 

Following his lead, Betty stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her and trashing the few beauty products on her dresser to the floor. Not caring that she could hear Rosie wailing from where she had left her in her stroller in the hallway, or the heartbreaking way she could hear Samual asking his big brother “Is Mommy ok?” With tears evident in his sweet little voice. Right then all she could think about was getting air into her lungs. 

Betty sat with her back to the wall, drying her eyes and listening as the chaos that was her home not five minutes ago slowly simmers down, back to its normal state. She gathers up the strength to get up and open the door and head back out to her family.

What she seen when she opened the door, broke her heart that little bit more, until it was all the way broken. Her eldest rocking her youngest back and forth in her stroller, soothing her and keeping her quiet. Her middle child sat at the kitchen table quiet happy to be eating what appeared to be two pieces of dry bread squished together to look like a sandwich.

“I gave Sam a snack, Mommy.” Charlie informed her. 

“Oh baby!” Betty whispered, rushing forward and engulfing him in a hug. “You’re such a good boy Charlie.” She whispered to him while she stroked the back of his little blonde head. “Don’t you ever feel like any of this is your job ok, sweetie. It’s mommy’s job to look after you guys.” She stood, caressing his cheek with her thumb before scooping Rosie out of the stroller and peppering her chubby little cheek with kisses. “The three of you, you mean the world to me. And I promise this is not the life I wanted for you guys.” She told the two young boys who looked up at their mom with no idea what was actually going on. “And I know Mommy might of seemed a little sad lately. But that’s going to change. Mommy is going to try harder.” Betty told them while swaying the baby and biting her lip to stop the tears. 

“Don’t cry, Mama.” Samual said as he stood from the table. Then both of her precious little boys came over and wrapped their arms around her. Giving her exactly what she needed - a hug. 

Jughead dragged his feet as he made his way home, only have listening to his daughter as she rambles on about all the childish tittle tattle from her school day. They stop off at Pops for supper because he just can’t bring himself to cook a meal once they get in. “It’s not the same just me and you now, Daddy.” Bella had told him.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Jughead apologised to his sweet 5 year old.

“I need to go and talk to her.” He told Archie on the phone that night. 

“Yes. But not right now. It’s late, you’ll disturb the kids and just piss her off even more.” He heard Veronica hell in the background because, of course he’s on loud speaker. 

“We where taking Freddie the movies tomorrow evening if u want us to take Bella? She can have stay over. You can go over and talk to her, once the kids have gone to bed.”

“Yeah. Ok. Thanks Arch.” 

On Saturday Jughead hated leaving Bella with his friends so he could go and meet a girl. But it wasn’t just a girl, it was Betty. And he needed to make things right with her. So he kissed his daughters head and promised to see her in the morning. As he made his way across town, he thought about what she had said about them never being together. If she didn’t have those kind of feelings for him, well he could accept that. It would hurt sure, but he wouldn’t want to do anything to lose the amazing friendship they had built together over the last couple months. She was the only person besides Archie or Ronnie that he had gotten remotely close to. And the kids where all great together, they would play so well, it would be a shame for them to miss out on that friendship. So whatever she wanted, he would give her, weather it be friendship or something more - it was hers.

“Jughead? I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Betty exclaimed as she opened the apartment door. “No Isabella?” She asked, peering around him noting he was down his usual Sidekick. It was one of the things he (dare he say it) loves about her. Him and his daughter where just as much a package as her and her 3 children, and they both understood that.

“She’s with Archie and V. I just wanted to talk with you. Make sure your ok.”

Betty opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside. 

“It’s quiet. Where is everybody?”

“I’ve just put Rosie down. She’s in her crib, she will stay down for a couple hours. And I managed to get the boys an old Xbox. So now that that’s all set up in their bedroom I have hardly heard from them all day.” She chuckled. Not mentioning the fact that the Xbox was a guilt purchase. Something to make up for the meltdown she had had after her kiss with Jughead. He just nodded and sat himself on the sofa, next to the seat which he knew to be ‘hers’. “So what did you want to talk about?” Betty asked him.

“Well first I wanted to apologise for any hurt feelings after the other day. I’m not sorry I kissed you, I’m just sorry if it wasn’t something you wanted.” Jughead spoke quietly and fiddled with the tassels on the corner of the sofa cushion.

“Jug. No. It’s not that I didn’t want you to kiss me.” Betty swallowed, preparing herself to open up to him about stuff she has buried down for so long. “I just keep thinking about Brett.” Jughead looked at her a little surprised. “We’ve been gone a year and he hasn’t even tried to reach out. If it hasn’t happened by now it never will. I know that’s a good thing. The whole reason I left was to get away from him. I guess I just thought he would of fought a little harder for the boys.” 

“What made you leave, Betts? What happened?” Jughead asked with sad eyes, suddenly feeling a connection to those little boys that he had been overlooking. He also had been unwanted by his father, or his mother, something that had left a permanent wound inside him. He hopped those boys could heal in ways he couldn’t. 

“Well, we moved to New York because Brett got a job on Wall Street, but it was a lot harder than he though it would be. His family, mine too, they’re all about what we looked like on the outside. There was always this pressure on him to be the best. I did feel sorry for him on that part, because that’s the same environment I grew up in. And it sucks, feeling like you have to give up on your happiness so your parents look good at the country club. But he got tired it. Of me too I guess. Of this perfect family portrait we where paining when the falsity was nothing but a stark contrast. He said I made him look bad when I didn’t lose the baby weight. He would work until all hours, come home drunk. He pretty much always had other girls on the side. But I never ever said anything, if he was fucking some other girl, he could fall asleep on top of her instead and leave me alone. I just accepted “this is my life”, you know. And I had the boys of course. I always believed my mother and his, that I could never cope on my own.”

“Well that’s bullshit.” Jughead told her, shaking his head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you ever stand up for yourself?”

“Jughead my parents have control every single aspect of my whole life. I didn’t know how to get out from that. I knew I didn’t have to go through with it, but I didn’t know how to escape. And Brett, I never loved him anyway. He didn't love me either. I always thought I was the only person getting hurt by going along with what they all wanted. Marrying Brett, becoming the obedient wife, raising his perfect children. But I eventually realised.” Betty took a deep, shaky breath to contain herself. “Jug... He hurt us. He hurt me, and he hurt Charlie. Brett, he....” Betty whimpered, her tears winning the battle. “He hit my boy. And I didn’t even notice.” Betty sobbed into the sleeve of her oversized sweatshirt. “I was so wrapped up in how unhappy our marriage was. I never thought... And now I’m just so angry all the time. If I had just stood up for myself, if I had stood up for them. Things could be so different. I’m a horrible person.” 

“Don’t say that Betts.” Jughead said with a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You asked if I hated Bella’s Mom?” He went on, deciding to tell his story “Well I couldn’t ever hate her after what I put her through. She never wanted Bella. We where never in any kind of relationship, but she got pregnant anyway. She wanted an abortion but I talked her into keeping her and letting me take her. My mom fucked off when I was really young, I never heard from her since, and my Dad was just never interested. He was a drunk. He dealt drugs. Didn’t really care weather I had a roof over my head or food in my belly. And when I found out she was pregnant, a family with that baby was all I wanted in the whole world. I’m a single dad, but by my own choice.” Jughead paused for breath. “You see, I’m not that different from Brett. I took Donna’s choices away from her, just like he did to you.”

“Don’t say that, Jug. Your a good man.”

“Now that I think back on it, I realise how selfish I was. What kind of repercussions thats going to have for Bella if she ever decides to look for her Mom. It’s going to hurt her when she finds out her mom hadn’t wanted her. It’s going to hurt Donna, the child she never wanted just popping into her life 18-plus years later. Through my own selfishness, I hurt the both of them.”

They sat there on the sofa, both taking in all they had learned about each other. Seeing them for who they are, all the scars. No secrets. Could two broken hearts be pieced together to make a whole?

“Betty,” Jughead continued, “I’m already crazy about you. But seeing you with your kids, hell even with mine, it just makes me fall even deeper for you.”

Betty interrupted him, “I’m such a mess. It won’t be fair to start something up with you while I’m still married.” 

“I don’t care about none of that. All I care about is you, and Charlie, and Sam, and Rosie, and how happy you guys make me and Isabella.”

“You and Bella make us happy too. But I can’t, Jug. I just can’t.”

“Why?”

“Jug, I really need to focus on my kids and make amends, they’ve been through so much change. And so have I, I need time to get to know myself again. Its like the past year of my life is just catching up to me. I feel so broken right now. It’s not fair for me to love you right now.”

“Stop talking about what’s fair. If life was fair we would of had that kiss in high school and then gone on to have these 4 brilliant kids. But it hasn’t worked out that way, Betts. And it doesn’t change how I feel.” He tells her as he cups her face. Betty allows herself to lean in, pausing just before their lips touch. She opens her eyes and looks up at him through her lashes.

“Then wait for me?” She asked in a whisper.

“Of course.” Jughead whispers and sighs and Betty kisses him so briefly he didn’t even have chance to kiss back, before resting her head on his shoulder and drifting off to sleep. 

And over the course of the next few months, Jughead remained nothing but cautious and gentlemanly. The group kept close during the summer months, planning lots of days out and road trips to keep them all busy. In September, Bella, Sam and Freddie all started first grade together, Charlie going into third and it really pulled on Betty’s heart strings to see her baby’s flurishing at school. Charlie was coming out of his shell while his younger brother had settled down a little and stopped being such a whirlwind.

Rosie was a happy little soul, always wanting to be watching her big brothers, wondering what they where doing, laughing at all the funny faces they would pull to her. Isabella was coming on great too. She loved acting like a big sister to Rosie, always offering Betty help, “shall I get a diaper, Betty?” She would ask whenever she seen Betty rummaging through the diaper bag.

On Halloween night, while the kids ran around Jugheads loft, on a sugar high, together they watched as Rosie pulled herself up onto her chunky little legs and guided herself around the coffee table, Jughead right behind her, ready to catch her if she falls. 

And yet through all of that, Jughead never once made a pass at her, and for that Betty was so very grateful. She was grateful that he was allowing her this space. 

“Where’s my Rosie this morning?” Jughead called from the school gate one frosty December morning, ‘only 2 more weeks of this before winter break’ he had thought to himself as he struggled to drag Bella out of bed that morning.

“I dropped her with the sitter this morning. I was wondering if you wanted to join me at Pops? Quick coffee?” Betty had offered.

“Let’s go then!” Jughead proclaimed, unable to refuse anything if it was Betty Cooper offering it.

“So what’s got you so cheerful this Monday morning?” He asked from across a red linoleum dining table, sat in their favourite booth at their favourite dinner, and he watched her pull a brown A4 envelope from her purse.

“What’s this?”

“I didn't want to say anything until it was official. I wasn’t sure if it would come through.” She pushed it across to him and watched as he opened and read the document.

“Is this what I think it is?” His eyes skimming over words like ‘joint compliant petition’ and ‘general pleadings to request the court to dissolve a marriage.”

“As of Friday evening, I am officially divorced.” Betty declared coyly, trying to contain the sheer joy she was currently feeling.

“Oh Betty. That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” And he really was. She deserved nothing but the freedom this gives her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I wanted to tell you in person and I needed a couple days to wrap my head around how easy it had been.”

“Don’t apologies. What about the kids?”

“He was happy for me to take full custody on the grounds that I wouldn’t seek child support payments now, or any point in the future. He didn’t even want to meet Rosie, the dick.” Betty couldn’t help but chuckle. Nothing was going to ruin this. “They’re honestly better off without him.”

“So does this mean...” Jughead trailed off and watched as Betty nodded her head. 

“Kiss me, Jughead.” Betty whimpered as she stood and bent over the table, grabbing Jughead by the collar of his flannel and bringing his lips to hers. His hands instantly come up to her back to keep her secure, her tongue teasing the seem of his lips. He pecked her once more, keeping it clean for such a public place. 

As he pulled away he whispered “finally” and they both chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this is shorter than other chapters, but no angst at all in this one (I think) 
> 
> I know not much happens in it but I wanted to get this part out of the way to set up the story line for the next chapter ❤️

Chapter 4

Not much changed after Betty and Jughead had shared that kiss at Pops. They decided to take things slow. They didn’t tell their friends or their children, they just went on as normal, only this time, Betty would secretly snake her hand into his at any chance she got and entwine their fingers together and Jughead would lean over to drop a kiss on her cheek when the kids weren’t looking. But they hadn’t had the chance to take things any further than that. There seemed to constantly be somebody around, never giving them any privacy. 

Winter break was spent celebrating Charlie’s 8th birthday and then Christmas a couple days later. Followed by New Years Eve at Archie and Ronnies. Jughead had pulled Betty to one side while the kids watched the fireworks a little after midnight, and he had kiss her passionately, all tongues and whimpered breaths. He was sure Veronica had saw them, but she didn’t say anything and he was glad. 

“Nobody has ever kissed me like that before.” Betty confessed afterward. 

“Fucking. Idiots.” Jughead had said, punctuating each word with a soft kiss. 

“Do it again.” She pleaded with a whisper and he didn’t hesitate for a second. His lips crashing against hers. Jughead placing his hands on her hips to pull her closer, eventually pulling away all together and retiring to the deck to enjoy the rest of the beautiful evening.

On the 3rd of January, Rosie turned one year old. And Betty and Jughead took her to the Zoo while the older kids where in school. It was their first day back after the break and they where all so excited about seeing their class mates and telling them all about the stuff they had gotten from Santa. Rosie wasn’t at all interested in the animals, but as they walked around, Jugheads arm wrapped around Betty so his hand rested on her hip while she push the stroller, they actually felt like a real family.

“Thank you so much for today, Jug. It was nice to be able to do something just for Rosie.” Betty told him on the walk back.

“Don’t be silly, Betts. I wouldn’t miss this little princess’s very first birthday for the world.” He said, reaching inside to tickle under her chin, laughing when she does. Rosie had only been a couple weeks old when Jughead and Betty where first introduced and Jughead liked to think she was quite fond of him, and she was. When Betty watched him her heart would swell with affection. He was like that with the boys too, not just Rosie.

And Jughead felt the same about Betty, when he watched her with Isabella. During the holidays Betty had invited Bella over to make Christmas cookies, something Betty said she always enjoyed as a child but neither of her boys had ever been interested, and Jughead swore he could of married her on the spot. That afternoon, Jughead had brought his old Nintendo from when he was a pre-teen and watched as the boys took turns, fighting over who had the better score. Rosie gabbing away to him from where she had sat on her play mat, playing with some toys ‘Santa’ had brought. “This is it.” Jughead had thought to himself, chest feeling tight with emotion, “this is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” 

So anyway, after the zoo, Betty and Jughead picked the kids up from school and, with Veronica and Freddie, they walked over to Pops for tea. After burgers and milkshakes, they all sang Happy Birthday with a single candle sticking out from a frosted cupcake, Rosies first ever, and Betty’s mind drifted to Brett, and she wondered if he realised it was his only daughters birthday today. Did he think about her? Did he think about the blonde haired boys he had held as babies? Probably not. But she knew she was happier in this moment than she had been in years. 

Veronica had managed to keep her mouth shut about the kiss for an entire two weeks before, one Tuesday morning, after the school run while sitting at the Andrews breakfast table, she just had to ask.

“So.” Veronica started, placing a cup of coffee in front of Betty and another one where she was about to sit. “How’s the sex?” She asked, causing Betty to splutter her drink over herself, sending Rosie into a fit of giggles.

“I-I don’t... I..” Betty struggled to get a coherent word out as she wiped up the mess she had caused and watch Veronica distract the baby with a biscuit while avoiding looking her in the eye.

“You and Jughead. I seen you guys on New Years. And that was definitely not your first kiss.” She observed. 

“Well. We’ve sort of... been... dating.” Betty spoke slowly. Saying it out loud for the first time, it sounded almost strange, because could you call burgers and cups of coffee in between school runs dating? She had very strong feelings for him, that was pretty clear, and she was almost certain he felt the same. 

“I knew it. You owe me details, girl.” Ronnie said clapping her hands.

“Don’t say anything though, V. We haven’t talked to the kids about it yet.” Betty rambled on, talking a little loud to be heard over Rosies chatter. “Jug was worried the boys would think he’s trying to replace their father and-“ 

“Betty. As much as I love your children. I am not interested in them right now. I wanna know if the sex is any good!” Said Veronica as if it where obvious. 

“Well... I wouldn’t know.” Betty said in hushed tone.

“What? Why? Your not a virgin are you?” Veronica joked and Betty shook her head.

“Obviously, V. But Brett is the only person I’ve ever been with. And that was never anything special. I guess I’m just a bit apprehensive.”

“Betty, if it’s skill your worrying about. Don’t. To the best of my knowledge, Jughead hasn’t been having a whole lot of sex over the past few years either. All you’ll have to do is touch him and you guys should be good to go.” The way she went on you would of thought Veronica was some kind of sex expert. 

“Oh, my god. That is so not what I meant.” Betty blushed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Sex has never been a positive experience for me, so I’m ok with waiting. Besides, we haven’t even spent a night together, let alone had the privacy to take things that far.” 

“I would be happy to pick the kids up from school one day, Bella too. To give you guys some time alone.” Ronnie said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“That would be 5 kids, Ronnie, I can’t let you do that! It’s a lot!”

“Come on! Archie would love having a load of kids messing up the house.” She said looking down into her coffee mug.

“Hey. Is everything ok, with you guys?” Betty asked, trying to shift the conversation, while also being genuinely concerned.

“Me and Archie have been trying.” She admitted, and Betty couldn’t help but notice the drop in her demeanour.

“That’s great, Ronnie. How long?”

“About 8 months. Every month I’m late by a couple days and I think ‘this is it’. Then nothing but yet another negative. I’m beginning to think it’s not going to happen for us.”

“Oh, V. I’m sorry. If there’s anything I can do for you guys...” Betty put her hand on her best friends to reassure her that she would be there for her, like Veronica had been for her this passed year.

“There is.” Ronnie said, wiping away a single tear from the corner of her eye and carrying on with renewed spirit. “You and Jughead can let us pinch those beautiful babies of yours so Archie can live out his dream of having a huge family. At least just for the evening.”

“Ok, Ronnie. You’ve tugged on my heart string.” Betty laughed. 

“Hey this is your sex life I'm rescuing here. Who knows, mr dark and brooding might just crack a smile if he’s getting laid.”

Betty just laughed along, because she knew he was only “dark and brooding” when he was around other people. When it was just them, and he let his guard down, he was actually a really sweet and caring guy. But she liked that he saved that part of him just for her. And Bella too, of course.

It took a week to organise. A whole 7 days, of Jughead asking Betty is she was 100% sure, and of her asking Ronnie if she was 100% sure. A whole 7 days later and they where home alone, at last. They wasted no time, mouths coming together the second the door was closed and Jughead had pinned her up against the back of it while they made out. They slowly made their was to the bedroom, stopping every couple of feet so they could feast on one another some more.

Everything was different with Jughead, down to the way he would run his hand over her breast, or the way he muttered against the ticklish skin of her neck that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was the first guy who had ever gone down on her, and Betty couldn’t believe she had been missing out on that feeling of euphoria as she fell apart, legs clenched around his neck, her fingers grasping his hair to pull him in deeper. When Betty eventually recuperated, she turned onto her knees and shuffled down, helping him tug off his pants and boxers until she was face level with his hard cock. He must of sensed when she hesitated because he looked down at her and with a finger under her chin, reassured her. “Hey, you know you don’t have to right? We can slow down.” 

“No. I want to. I’ve just never... I mean, I’ve done it. Just never....” Betty trailed off, struggling to find the words to describe how he would hold her hair tight at the back of her head, keeping her still while he fucked her mouth, not caring for her gag reflex. ‘Betty. Stop rambling. You can’t let Brett stop you having this experience with him’ her inner voice told herself. And she pushed him back into the mattress with a hand on his chest and proceeded to rock his world.

Jughead had ended up begging her not to make him come. And when Betty came up to kiss him, she could still taste herself on his tongue.

“I think I wanna ride you, Jug.” She told him while he worked her nipple with his tongue. She made it sound like a spare of the moment decision, but she had known all along that she craved that little bit of control she had previously been denied.

“Anything you want, baby.” He told her, because as long as he got to have her, he honestly didn’t care what position it was in.

“Jug? What’s your real name?” Betty asked him after, as she lay her head on his bare, sweating chest.

“Forsyth” he told her, without hesitation.

If anything, taking that next step had only brought them closer, affirmed what they already felt for one another. So much so, that the weekend after they had had sex, they decided to tell the kids. “Betty and I are boyfriend and girlfriend now.” Jughead had told them simply. 

They had taken it very well. Isabella just nodded and said “ok, daddy.” And Samual seemed to be completely uninterested, playing with a toy transformer. Charlie on the other hand seemed to understand what he was saying a little bit more, and he came up and gave Jughead a very brief hug around the waist (which almost just melted Betty completely) before asking,

“Can I go play now Mommy?”

“Of course, sweetie.” Betty had said with a smile.

Together they decided that now the kids knew, there was nothing stopping them from having Friday night sleepovers, which the kids seemed to love. But they where both too scared to do anything, in fear of walking one of the many sleeping children, It took a 2 whole months worth of sleepovers before the sexual tension eventually mounted up. 

Betty had surprised him on that night, by guiding the hand that was across her torso down, and into her panties. Jughead had whimpered as his fingers sank into her, she had wrapped her hand around him and they had proceeded to bring each other to orgasm with just their hands. It was a couple more weeks of once a week foreplay before they had given in and Jughead had rocked inside of her. And surprisingly, it had been right at that moment that Jughead realised this is what he wanted for the rest of his life - hands clasped above her head, muffling their moans into one another’s mouths, praying to god that they didn’t wake anyone up and have to separate.

“I’m going to marry you, Betty Cooper.” He had whispered into the sweaty night air, and Betty had let out a breathless chuckle, snuggling into him. She never thought he was serious. As in, start saving for a ring serious. But that’s what he done.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought his would be the best place to split the chapters, otherwise it was ending up just too long compared to previous ones, 🙈 
> 
> Please continue to show you love with the comments and kudos etc, I really appreciate it,
> 
> Also apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors

Chapter 5

“If we are still together by Christmas, then I’ll propose on Valentines.” Jughead told himself. He had looked at rings within his price range pretty much straight away and decided that simply wouldn't do. What he wasn’t planning on, was for so much to change in between. 

One bright and shiny May morning, shortly after Isabella’s 6th birthday, Jughead had just got back from dropping Bella at school when he got call from Betty. “My landlord is a fucking dick.” Said had said over the phone.

“Well hello to you too, baby.” He chuckled. “What’s he done now?” Besides putting your rent up despite doing necessary repairs he thought to himself. 

“I just got a letter and he’s fucking evicting us!” Betty weeper over the phone. 

“What? I’m pretty sure he can’t do that.” Jughead said in disbelief. How can somebody sleep at night knowing they kicked out a young women and her three children?

“Well my lease is up at the end of next month and he just doesn’t want to renew it. Something he is entirely within his rights to do, apparently.”

“Your right, he is a dick.”

“Ugh. I doubt i will even get my security deposit back after the boys all but destroyed the hall way floor with their bikes. I’ll have to take even more money from my savings which i really didn’t want to do.” When Rosie had been about 6 months old, Betty had come to the realisation that her blood money savings wasn’t going to last forever, so she enrolled Rosie at the cheapest day care she could find that had actually passed their safety inspections, and got herself a job as secretary for the Sheriff, Kevin Keller. It wasn’t spectacular money, nothing compared to what she had with Brett, but she made it work.

“You can stay with us, Betts.” Jughead told her without hesitation. 

“What? Are you sure?” Betty stumbled. 

“Of course I’m sure. As if i would see you guys go anywhere else.” He told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“It wont be for long, Jug. Just until I can pull together enough money for a down payment.” She spoke quickly, caught off guard and a little surprised that he had asked in the first place.

“No, Betty.” Here tried but she cut him off.

“And I’ll pass you some money towards the bills and food, and I’ll-” Jughead listened to her ramble on, clearly not getting at what he was asking. 

“Betty stop.” He almost yelled over her. “I’m asking you to move in with me, Betts.”

“You want us to live with you? We have only only been together for 6 months, Jughead.” Betty spoke through a half laugh. 

“Well, yeah. I know its early. But its kind of where I hoped we where heading anyway.” Besides it’s probably a good idea for us to be living together before I ask you to marry me, he thought to himself. 

“You thought about things like that?” It almost sounded as if she hadn’t realised Jughead was so serious about her. 

“Of course, Betts. You’re it for me.” Jughead reassured her. He just wished they weren’t having this conversation over the phone.

Betty thought for a minute, “I mean, would we all fit? Where would everybody sleep?” She asked slowly.

“Ok. Fair point.” Jughead thought for a moment. “Well we could look somewhere of our own. I um. I have some money put away.” The ring money “I’ve been doing some freelancing job on the side,” he explained “its not a lot. But definitely enough for a first months rent.” Back when he first moved into the studio, while he waited impatiently for Bella’s arrival, he had planned on it only being temporary. He had hoped to save for a mortgage and buy a little house for him and Bella. It hadn’t look long for him to figure out that rent + a baby + the cost of living didn’t leave him with much left afterwards.

“Jug. I cant ask you to do that.” She Betty sighed and checked the time on her phone. “I have to go to work in a minute. Can we talk about it later? Come for dinner?” 

“Ok, Betts. See you later, at the school?”

“Always.” She said in that sweet voice of hers and then she was gone.

Jughead wondered how much they where going to end up spending, so he went back to his laptop, and instead of carrying on with his work like he knew he should, he hit google. He spent longer than he cared to admit searching through listings, looking for something perfect for them. They where all slightly out of his price range. But with two salary’s coming in instead of just one, and if he kept up his freelancing jobs, everything should be perfect.

“I think I found us a house.” Betty told him that evening while they done the washing up together, slowly watching the smile that lit up his face, taking her statement as her agreeing to live with him. Jughead leaned in and cupped her face in a sudsy hand, pecking her lips before whispering, 

“Me too.” They both pulled away and laughed, Betty drying her face with a tea towel.

The house Jughead had found was bigger than the one Betty had. It had an open plan lounge and kitchen, much like where she was now and 4 bedrooms. It had a small nicely kept garden and a gated drive way. Where as the way Betty had chosen had a kitchen, dining room and living room, was very similar in layout to Archie and Veronicas house, and had just 3 bedroom. There was an open driveway and the garden was a lot bigger but needed so much work - therefor the rent was considerably cheaper. 

After a couple days of back and forth, they looked some more and found somewhere in between. A nice 3 story, 4 bedroom town house. An open plan kitchen and dining room, then a   
family room separate. No driveway but the garden was half decked with little room for a swing set, maybe. As soon as they stepped over the thresh hold they both just looked at each other and knew, this is where they wanted to join their little families together. So they took it and where able to move in pretty much straight away. 

They got a mixed reception when they broke the news to the kids over burgers and milkshakes. Isabella had jumped up and down in excitement, “it will be like a sleepover but we never have to go home!” She had cheered. Rosie had clapped along with Bella and shouted ‘yeah’ with her little fist in the air as if she had a clue what was happening. Samual was happy as long as he got to take all his things, and as long as he got to keep his bunk beds with his brother. Charlie on the other hand had not been happy about it. Being 8 and a half and thinking he was all grown up all of a sudden. He didn’t understand why he suddenly had to move, yet again. He worried about having to move schools, and what if he lost all his friends. Can they still have pizza on Fridays? Betty promised him that everything was going to stay the same, and that seemed to settle him don a little bit, but he was still not 100% ok with the idea of moving.

Finding the time to actually pack was the hard part. Trying to fit all their belongings into boxes, haul them across town and then unpack - it seamed like for the first couple of weeks they where just living out of boxes. Then the kids finished school for the holidays and suddenly, things where no longer in boxes but all over the floor of pretty much every room, tucked into corners, or hidden high up in cupboards away from sticky fingers. But every time Betty would get frustrated with the kids, “can you not take all those toys out? I’ve only just put them away.” Or “please don’t shout so loudly, Jughead is working.” Jughead would come up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and he would tell her its fine, he didn't care about the mess. Or the noise. Or the constant demand for snacks. 

“I live for this crazy, Betts.” He would tell her, reminding her over and over that he was not Brett. she didn't have to worry about appearing to be this picture perfect family. She didnt have to worry about mess, or noise or chaos. He was just happy that they could all be together.

“I’m sorry, babe.” Betty would apologise with her arms around his neck. And he would silence her with a sweet kiss, earning many groans of disgust from the kids, mainly the boys.

Eventually the boxes where gone, and they managed to move most of the things they didnt really need into the attic, promising Charlie it could only be his bedroom once he stopped being scared of the monsters under his bed. Finally clutter free, the house was starting to get a real homely feel to it. And when she would look around Betty would wonder why she ever settled for that barren, empty apartment she had lived in with Brett, when this was so obviously the true meaning of home. 

Once school started again, they easily fell into a routine. Betty would take the older kids to school, on her way to work. And Jughead would stay at home with Rosie, taking her to day care and getting some work done during those rare quiet moments - because once the noise returned and everyone was home, he didnt want to miss a minute of it.

It was during the build up to Halloween, when people first start putting pumpkins out on the door step, that things really started going to shit. He hadn't long started saving up again for that ring, after spending it all, and a bit extra, on moving into the house. Which meant working late into the night when the kids where in bed. That wasn’t the problem though. He problem was when there was a knock on the door at 11:37pm, waking Rosie and probably Isabella too since they now shared a room. Jughead looked out of the bay window to see who the hell it could be at this god forsaken hour and was unpleasantly surprised at who he seen standing under the porch light. 

“Jug, is everything ok?” Betty half whispered from the top of the stairs, holding a once again sleeping Rosie. 

“Fine, baby. Go back to bed.” He told her, pausing at the bottom step, composing himself before he opened the door. 

What the fuck do they want? How did they even find out where he lived? After all this time, what are they doing on his front porch?

“Hey Jug. Mind if we come in?” Spoke a husky voice that Jughead hadn't heard in years. Since college even. 

“The kids are sleeping. Let’s talk out here.” He replied, stepping out into the chilly night air and closing the door behind him. “What do you want, Sweet Pea? Fangs?”

“It’s your old man, Jug.” Sweet Pea spoke first. “He had a heart attack.”

“Tonight at the Wyrm. He didnt make it.” Fangs finished.

Jug took a seat on the creaky porch swing and put his head in his hands. It had been years since he seen his father, besides the couple of times they had walked past each other around town. Jughead had seen him at the grocery store once with Bella, when she was small, but neither one had spoken to each other. 

“We just thought you should know, before the authorities told you.”

“The sheriff?” He asked, thinking to Betty’s boss and hoping this doesn’t cause any issues for her at work.

“Yeah. Since nobody has seen or heard from your mom or Jelly in like a century, you are going to have to make the arrangements.” Sweet pea told him. Funny, once upon a time, before Archie stepped in and told him to give his head a wobble, these guys would of been considered his friends. 

“Fuck.” Jughead muttered under his breather, wondering how he’s going to afford to pay for a funeral right now, he might not of seen his father in a while, but he knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t have any kind of life insurance or funeral plan in place.

“Penny wants you to pay her a visit.” Fangs said and Jughead looked up to the sky and huffed, shaking his head at the mere mention of the woman who got him into so much trouble growing up.

“Tell her she can go to hell.” Jug muttered. He should of known really. Life always had a funny way of taking away all the good things he worked for.

“It’s just one job Jug. Something FP was suppose to do for her. You do this for her, you get enough for the funeral and little bit left for yourself.” 

“No way. I’m not getting involved with her.” He tried putting his foot down. It was one thing to sell drugs here and their in high school, but a job so big Penny had sought out FP is nothing he wants any part of. 

“Do you really think you have a choice, Jones? How do you think we knew where to find you.” Fangs warned him. “Think about those kids you’ve got upstairs, Jughead. Your not that stupid.” At that a chill creeped up Jughead’s spine at the thought of something happening to his family. 

“I’m going back inside. I’ll get back to you about the funeral, and I’ll deal with Penny. Don’t you come near this house or my family ever again. Do you understand?” Jughead threatens as he makes his way back inside and closes the door softly, so as to not wake up the house. He double locks it just to make sure. 

When Jughead made it to his bedroom, Betty was sat up, back against the large wooden headboard, waiting for him. “Who was that?”

“Oh, nothing to worry about, baby. Some guy broke down outside.” Jughead whispers so as to not wake up the kids, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull his shoes and jeans off. 

“Has he gone?” She asked, about to get out of bed to go look out the window, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back to bed.

“Yeah. Did Rosie settle okay?” He said while wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Yeah, Bella didn’t even make a sound.” Betty said as she snuggled into his chest. 

“That’s good.” Jughead let his head sink into the pillows and pretended, willed, himself to fall asleep.

“Jug? You know you can tell me, right?” Betty whispered into the night. “Whatever’s going on. You can tell me.”

“I know, baby. I will. Just not tonight. Good night, Betts.” He whispered into her hair. His mind running too fast to even think of sleep.

The next day went on as normal. Betty got Rosie ready and helped Bella along the way while Jughead made sure the boys brushed their teeth and poured out some cereal. It just just like any normal day. Except today, after dropping Rosie off, Jughead drove across town and sat in his car outside the White Wyrm, while a nurse over the phone informed him of his fathers passing. Gave him a couple numbers he could phone. People who, for a cost, could take care of all the details for him. A cost that he just didn’t have. So he done the only thing he knew how to do. 

He turned to Penny.

“Betty?” Jughead asked from the doorway of their en suit a couple days later. “Can I talk to you?”

“Go ahead.” She said around her toothbrush.

“If anything where to happen to me. Would you....” he trailed off, a lump the size of a golf ball lodged in his throat. 

“Jug. Why are you talking like that?” Betty asked him as he sat on the corner of the bath tub. 

“Just, say if I messed up. I agreed to do something that couple potentially get me locked up. Or worse. Would you look after Bella for me? If I couldn’t?”

“Juggie. Of course I would.” Betty choked. 

“Then...” He wiped under his nose with his thumb “I need you to sign this.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket, a pen clipped onto the edge. “It’s so she never has to go into care or anything.” 

“What’s going on, Jughead?” She asked, frustrated, and unable to believe that this man infrint of her could ever do anything as bad as this is sounding.

“My dad died, Betts.”

“Oh, baby. I’m sorry. Is that what’s been playing on your mind?”

“Betts. My dad he... he wasn’t a good guy. He was involved with all kinds. Gangs. Guns. Drugs. Before he died, he agreed to do a run for somebody. A big one. And Penny, she isn’t somebody you say no to, Betts.” When he spoke, Betty swore she could hear the fear in his voice. By now, Betty has put her toothbrush back beside his in the cup holder. She sits on the closed toilet seat and puts her head in her hands. Having a hard time wrapping her head around it all. 

“Penny she... she wants me to do this run. It’s dangerous. I’ve got in trouble doing stuff for Penny before, before college. But she’s threatened the kids, Betts. My Bella. The boys, Rosie. You. I’ll do anything to protect you. And the money... its a lot. Enough for my fathers funeral, enough to pay off our debts afterwards, take care if you guys if anything happens to me.”

“You’ve already said yes?” Betty asked, scoffing when he nods his head.

“I have to do this, Betty, you have no idea what she is capable of. I told her I’m not getting back involved with the Serpents. I do this one job and that’s it. Debt paid.”

“So what?” She eventually nodded, wiping away her mascara stained tears. “ I just sign that paper and then... what?”

“And then, if the worst happens. And I’m ever not around to look after Bella, you become her legal guardian. She just loves you so much, Betts. I couldn’t bare the thought of her going anywhere else. I know it’s a lot to ask-”

“No. It’s not. Of course I’ll sign.” She told him, snatching the pen out of his hand and signing on the dotted line. 

“I fucking love you, you know that Betts.” 

“I know. I love you too.” Berry whispered against his lips, draping her arms over his shoulders and wrapping her legs around him, Jughead carried her into the bedroom, dropping onto the mattress where they slowly, and languidly made love late into the night. She awoke late the next morning, a Saturday, to the sound of the boys playing, Isabella singing a silly song and Rosie laughing, and an empty bed, and she knew Jughead had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I added an extra chapter 🙈 I may have to add another one because I’ve been hit with a sudden inspiration 😂


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don’t hate me 😩
> 
> Sorry for any errors, I wrote most of this on my phone which has a habit of auto correcting things I don’t want auto correcting

Chapter 6

All that Saturday, Betty was on edge. She had no idea when, or if, Jughead would be home. He had left his cell phone and refused to give Betty any details about the job. “The less you know, the better.” He had told her, and she supposed he was right.

“Why isn’t my Daddy here to tuck me in?” Bella asked while Betty tried to get the kids to bed. 

“He’s had to go on a message.” Betty told her. 

“He’s never missed putting me to bed before.” Isabella stated, pulling the covers back and climbing into bed.

“I know.” Betty whispered back as she lay a sleeping Rosie in her crib. 

“What if something has happened to him?” The 6 year old asked, voice full of concern.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, he can put you to bed tomorrow night.” She had falsely promised. He wasn’t there to put Isabella to bed on Sunday or Monday night either. She called in work on that Tuesday, worried sick and wondering if she should maybe call the police, or ask her boss for help. 

“Has my Daddy left me?” Isabellas small voice spoke out about the same time on the Wednesday night. That day had felt like everything had gotten on top of her, she hadn’t even managed to feed Rosie in time before she fell asleep in the high chair. She used to be quite proud of how easily she found raising her three children on her own, but after 6 months of having constant support, one extra person to herd and now the added stress of life, Betty would be glad when she can finally get her head above water again.

“I don’t know, Belles. I’m sorry.” She admitted in defeat, unable to keep lying to her.

“What’s going to happen to me?” She had asked.

“Nothing, sweetie. Nothing will ever happen to you.” Betty reassured her, brushing her dark curls from her eyes. “Your going to stay right here with us.” Betty comforted her, pulling her into her chest and stroking the back of her head, holding her tight and together they had cried.

“So does that mean your my mommy now?” Bella eventually asked once her tears had finally stopped and her breathing had returned to normal.

“If that’s what you want, Bella.” The timid little girl just nodded her head and Betty listened as her sobs returned, heartbreakingly so. She could kill Jughead for doing this to them. That’s if he wasn’t already- ‘no Betty. Stop. Don’t go there’ she had to keep reminding herself.

Once Bella was finally sleeping, Betty took her to bed, closing the door softly behind her and heading back to where the boys where playing downstairs. “Ready for bed, guys?” She said, poking her head around the door frame.

“Mommy? Why is Bella sad?” Samual asked as they all made their way up the stairs and into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

“Because Juggie is gone now. Just like Daddy.” Betty heard Charlie mutter under his breath and her head shot up, catching both their gazes in the mirror. Nobody said anything for a second and Betty wondered how much they actually think about their father? It had been so long, and they hadn't really spoken about it, she assumed they where ok. What if they’re not? They where both changed into their pyjamas and climbing into their bunks before anybody said nothing else.

“But i thought Juggie _was _our daddy now.” Samual thought out loud, earning a scoff from his older brother.__

____

__

“Would you guys like that? If Jughead was your Daddy?”

“If he ever comes home?” Charlie said soberly, head on his hand as he hangs over the top bunk.

Betty nodded. “If he comes home. And if I was Isabella’s Mommy. Would you be ok with that?” She asked, looking at her two boys with tears in her eyes. When did they become so grown up?

“Mom?” She heard Charlie whisper. “Juggie will come home.” Betty wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and nodding her head. 

“Goodnight guys. I love you.” She told them turning off the light as she left the room. 

Archie called everyday looking for Jug. Both him and Ronnie getting increasingly worried when the kids didn’t turn up for school on Thursday - the boys had picked up on Betty’s low mood and obvious distress, Rosie must of too because she wouldn’t leave her mothers side for a second and Bella just hadn’t been herself all week, missing her father too much - so Betty decided to keep them all close. In case anything happened. 

“There’s just a little bug going around our house at the moment.” She told Veronica over the phone. “Rosie is permanently attached to my hip, I can barely even think.” Betty thanked her friend for offering help but told her that it wasn’t necessary, “I’ll see you guys soon.” She promised. 

It was late on that Friday evening, a full 7 days without him, and Betty was in the kitchen preparing dinner when she heard a commotion coming from the family room. Dashing in, she seen all kids stood on the window box, cheering and banging on the window.

“Juggie’s home!” Samual exclaimed in excitement. Bella couldn’t get to the door quick enough, opening it and bursting outside and leaping into her fathers arms before he could even climb the stoop. Betty stood back and watched as the three older kids swarmed him with hugs and questions. 

“Where have you been, Juggie?”

“Daddy, why did you go?”

“How come you where so long?”

“Your not leaving again are you, Daddy?”

“Can you play with us?”

“Why do you smell so bad?”

“One sec, guys.” Where the first words Jughead managed to get out. He gave Bella another squeeze and sat her down on the floor, his eyes wracking over Betty, stood in the doorway, baby on hip, looking absolutely torn. “Come here you.” He whispered, pulling her in and kissing her like he hadn’t seen her in a week. This time, there where no groans of disgust. 

Instead they where broke apart by a tiny hand slapping gently against Jughead’s cheek, and the sweetest little voice calling out, “Dada.” Betty smiled and laughed at the little girl on her hip, her small hands reaching out the man who she obviously thought was her father, and when Betty thought about it, he was the closest thing to a father she had ever known, much like how Betty herself was the closest thing to a mother Bella had ever known. She watched Jughead take Rosie into his arms and hold her tight, swaying her ever so slightly. Together they complete each other’s little world. Together they where a family.

“We have so much to talk about though, Jug.” She told him as they followed the kids inside.

“I know.” Jughead nodded, “we will talk tonight, when the kids are in bed.” He had so much he needed to tell her, so much stuff that his brain hasn’t fully comprehend yet.

“I missed you lots, daddy.” Isabella said as she snuggled into Jugheads chest. They had allowed the kids to stay up later than usual. All of them so hyped up it would of been impossible to get them to bed as normal anyway. 

“I missed you too, Princess.”

“Can Betty still be my Mommy now that you’re home?” Jughead looked over his shoulder to where Betty was placing Rosie into her crib and tucking her in sweetly.

“If thats ok with Betty.” Bella laughed and threw her arms around her father, hugging him tight.

“Shh, you don’t want to wake Rosie.” He whispered to her, all the emotion of the past week, on top of the excitement of tonight bubbling up inside her. Jughead got her all snuggled inside the blankets and turned on the night light. “Good night, baby. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Promise?” She yawned and his heart broke a little.

“I promise.” Jughead told her, and they both slipped out of the room and made there way to Charlie and Samual’s bedroom, poking their heads in to see them both sat on their own bunks, controllers firmly in their hands, playing whatever racing game they where into this week. 

“I’ll be in in 10 minutes guys and I want the TV off and you both ready for sleep ok?” Betty warned, both boys shouting a quick ok. Once inside the privacy of their bedroom, Betty sat on the bed, her hands in her lap, making no move to ready herself for bed. 

“So go on. Tell me what the fuck you’ve been doing all week.” She said, speaking quietly so she didn’t alert the kids. But still, her distain for how he had left still obvious in her voice.

“I had to drive all the way to Ohio.” He sighed. “Pick some stuff up - car parts and some other bits. Then I had to drop them off to some guy in Missouri, get the cash and bring it back to Penny. It was a fucking set up anyway, Betts. The cut she gave me was barely enough to cover the gas. But then I had to go back, because Betty, my Mom was involved. It was her I had to pick up the stolen car parts from. Her and my dad, they had been in contact this whole time. All some of fucking cover up for Penny. But then I got to see my kid sister again for the-“

“Your sister? Your fucking sister? Are you serious?” When Betty spoke it was out of anger, all the hurt from. The last week bubbles up inside her. “Jughead your daughter has been sat here heartbroken thinking you where never coming back. I thought you where never coming back. You just left Jug. No way of contacting you. And for what? The chance to play happy family’s with your sister?”

“Betty, please.” He begged, taking her hands into his. 

“No, jughead.” Betty pulled her hands from his and stood up, pacing around the room. “I’m so fucking angry with you. I don’t know whether to slap you, or kiss you because I’m just so glad your home.” Her eyes slowly softening because she knew she couldn’t stay angry with him forever.

“I was always coming home, Betts.” Jughead stood and moved closer to her. Every step he took, she took one back until she was back against the wall.

“How the fuck am i suppose to know that? I’m not as naive as you may think. I know exactly what the serpents are. I know what kind of job you had to do. That is not the life i want for these kids, Jug.” The anger in her voice was gone, now she was just scared and hurt.

“I know. I know. It’s over. It’s all over, i promise.” Jughead pulled her into his arms, kissing the side of her head and sitting them back on the end of the bed. “There was just so many loose ends that needed tying off before i came home, I had to know what went on that made my mom leave. If I never I would of been thinking about it for the rest of my life, Betty. She just abandoned me, never reached out. And then to find out she had been in contact with him this whole fucking time. I’m sorry I took so long, but I did what I had to do. Now i wont ever feel like I have to go back looking for answers. My mom is taking care of the funeral, and she will be doing my fathers ‘drop offs’ from now on. And since what little money Penny did actually give me is long gone, there’s nothing to tie us to her. It’s over, Betts.” He pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin and laying back into the bed, his back aching terribly. 

“I can’t do this again, Jug.” Betty whispered into his chest. “Please don’t do this to us again.” 

“I promise, baby.” Jughead kisses the top of her head then rests his cheek there. It was quiet for a while, both of them just happy to be back in each other’s arms. 

“Tell me about her then.” Betty eventually said. “Your sister.” And Jughead smiles and began to tell her about the tall woman he had met who was nothing like the little girl that had got snatched away 20 years ago. How she was too old for her time with her vintage clothes and vinyl records. Jughead sounded so happy to have found the sibling that he had missed so much, for so long. He told her how her mother had brought her into the business from a very young age and how he was glad they had kept him out of it. He was glad to have found someone who, no matter how pissed off with him she is, she can listen to his story and tell him she was happy for him, and he told her so and then kissed her. 

That kiss turned into another and then another and they just kept coming until she climbed on top of him, grinding down into him. He worshiped her body, kissing and licking and murmuring into her skin how much he had missed her. And when he rocked into her, they couldn’t tear their lips from one another, otherwise they may just wake the whole neighbourhood with their sounds. It was slow and sensual. Measured thrusts to ensure he hit every spot, every time. Jughead went down on her way he was done, determined to make her shatter to pieces. To untie all those tension knots from a weeks worth of stress and worry. 

She pushed him away when she couldn’t take no more, Jughead collapsing into the mattress and pulling her into him, his head on his chest while they both caught their breath. “A lot has changed around here while I’ve been gone.” Jughead said once he had come down and Betty looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Your Mommy now?” He asked and she giggled softly and nodded her head.

“And your Daddy. Is that ok?” 

“It’s perfect.” He kissed her forehead, her nose, each cheek and then finally her lips. Just a soft kiss before telling her, “I’ll get up with the kids tomorrow, you stay in bed as long as you like. I’ll take care of everything.” And Betty just nodded, when in reality she would be awake and downstairs by 9, the sounds of their children giggling echoing up the stairs and into the bedroom.  
Betty knew she should cherish these beautiful moments. Watching Jughead act like a fool, the kids unembarrassed by their dads goofy behaviour. She was surprised when she heard Samual saying “can you help me Dad?” but Jughead didn’t even blink as he reached over and helped him cut up his pancakes. Could this be them finally getting the happy ending that they all deserve? Only time will tell, life has a funny way of surprising you. 

——

Jughead didn't have the ring money by Valentines. Or her birthday. School trips, music lessons for Bella, football club for the boys, a first bed for Rosie. Always dipping into his savings, but never for that ring. Life just seemed to keep getting in the way.

But one day, walking through town, he walked past a second hand jewellers, and from the corner of his eye he spotted a beautiful, elegant ring. A platinum diamond solitaire ring and it was perfect. So with a little scrapping together he managed to get enough.

It wasn’t any special occasion. Just a normal Friday night, late November, Betty had just finished putting the kids to bed, Charlie 9, Samual 7, Bella 6 and Rosie 2. Her hair was a mess and she had changed out of her smart work clothes and into her pyjamas. But when he looked at her he knew he wanted nothing more. It didn’t have to be on a special occasion or any place fancy. He couldn’t help but feel the weight of the ring in his pocket, and he knew the most import thing was that she knew he was crazy about her, and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. So he dried his hands, still a bit damp from doing the dishes, on the back of his jeans, heading into the lounge where Betty was sat on the sofa watching TV. As soon as she seen his face she knew something was on his mind, so she paused the TV, throwing her feet off of the sofa and onto the floor, gasping as her breath caught in her throat and she watched him get down on one knee.

“Betty Cooper. I love you. So much. All i want for the rest of my days, is you and me and our crazy, perfect family. Will you do me the honour or becoming my Wife?” Jughead spoke slowly, surely. 

Betty just looked down at him with tears in her eyes, shaking her head ever so.

“Betty? Will you marry me.” He asked again, confidence dropping when he didn’t get an immediate reply.

“I’m sorry, Jug.” She shook her head some more, “But, no.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn’t very long, i had originally wanted this chapter to be included in the last chapter, f that makes sense, but it was taking me so long to get it written i decided to split it. That made for a good cliff hanger though didnt it, glad you guys enjoyed it.
> 
> There will be a short epilogue maybe next week, once i get round to finishing it, my kid has just started school and i have just started driving lessons s free time isn’t something i have a lot of right now. Anyways, enjoy and ease keep up with the kudos and comments, I looked forward to them all

Chapter 7

“What?” Jughead questioned, feeling a little like a deflated balloon. He had been so sure that she would say yes. Had he heard her correctly? 

“Come here,” Betty sighed, patting the sofa next to her. Jug stood up dusting off his creaky knees and plopping down next to her, he could feel the sting of tears and was trying his best to hold it together. “I love you, Jug. And I’m so happy that you asked. But I don’t think I ever want to get married again. Marriage just doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. And I don’t want to be somebody’s wife. I just want to be Betty Cooper.” 

“You know it would be different with us than it was with Brett. Please, Betts. I love you so much.” He whispered the last part as she cupped his face, almost begging now.

“I love you too, Jug.” She spoke looking into his eyes, smiling when his eyes soften a little. “I’m just- I’m really happy right now.” She told him and he nodded. Yeah, he understood what she was saying. But it didn’t change how he felt.

“I don’t think I can be just your boyfriend forever, Betts.” He told her, coughing to try and shift the lump from his throat. 

“Your already so much more than just my boyfriend, Jug.” 

“Well then why don’t you want to marry me?” He asked again. Surely if she loved him the same way he loved her then she would want to marry him. Wasn’t marriage the next step? What would happen if they never progressed from where they where right now. Was there any point, if they where never going to be more than they where? 

“It’s not that. I want the forever part, I just don’t need the piece of paper.” She tried reasoning with him. 

“I want the forever part too.” Jughead sighed and conceded, because he did. He did want the forever part. He just also wanted the wife part. He wanted somebody who he could give his all to who would gladly give herself to him in return. He wanted to be loved by somebody so badly that they wanted to tie themselves together for life, the way he wanted with Betty.

“Well then, there we go.” Betty cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. “Jughead Jones. I promise to love you forever.”

“And I promise to love you,” he said after a couple moments, cupping her cheek and dropping a soft kiss to her lips, “Betty Cooper.” 

Over the next few days and then weeks, he tried not to let what had happened alter his mood. But inevitably, it did. When she would lean across the mattress and kiss his lips and tell him “I love you” he began to doubt her, ‘not enough to marry me though’ he would think to himself. And if he was in a really bad mood - after a day of sitting around the house trying, and failing, to get some work done - he wouldn’t even tell her he loved her too, he would just nod along, pretend he was reading something or simply not heard her. Jughead knew he had gotten into a rut, had become sour and resentful and not at all the man he wanted to be, but he just couldn’t shake it. All he had ever wanted was a family. He though he had had that with his daughter. But then he met Betty and he knew the true meaning of family. If he really thought about it, he knew that she loved him, but he was just hurt and in the moment that was all his mind could think about.

Betty also became tense around Jughead. She knew he was beginning to resent her, which made her resent him. Wouldn’t he rather marry somebody who really wanted to get married? As oppose to somebody who really didn’t? Wasn’t it enough that they where living together in a loving relationship? ‘We should be enough for him’ she would think to herself.

It had been a particularly long week, Betty had been busy trying to make sure Santa had all the right toys for the right kids, and Jughead had been absolutely swamped with work, trying to get it all done in time for the Christmas deadline. The kids where getting increasingly excited, even Rosie had picked up on her older siblings excitement and was absolutely buzzing, none of them stopping for a second has they seemed to hit every single wall in the dining room. Betty and Jughead pottered around each other in the kitchen trying to clean up after dinner. They tried to keep conversation simple - who was picking the kids up, who was dropping them off, how was Veronica coping with the new baby? A baby girl, Grace. Another little carbon copy of Archie. They would talk about anything to avoid the conversation they both really needed.

The racket from the dining room slowly made its way into the kitchen. Somebody tormenting Rosie, causing her to squeal and whine in protest, somebody else banging the something against the dining table, some stupid toy that just never seemed to shut up, always singing out that silly tune. Jughead made his way back over to his desk and opened up his latest piece, finding it all but impossible to to concentrate long enough to type out a coherent sentence. Betty was getting Rosie ready for bed, the older kids all still reeling. By the time a toy came flying over his shoulder, hitting his laptop screen, he had had enough. Jughead slammed his fist down onto the solid wood, yelling out “knock it off!”

All three children stopped what they where doing immediately, frightened looks on all of their faces. Not used to him being so harsh with them. He heard Betty's voice say “Come on guys. I think its time you lot went to bed.” As she ushered them upstairs and he knew he would be apologising in the morning, but for now maybe he could get some work done. It was a short while later that he heard her make her way back don the stairs. The house was calm and he knew they all must be asleep. 

Betty pulled a dining chair from the table and sat it near where he was sat at his desk. “Jug?” She said quietly, trying to get his attention. “I know things have been tough between us the past couple weeks, but you can’t take it out on the kids. It’s not their fault.” His fingers paused over the keys of his keyboard, concentration slipped. “I can ask my mom if I can take the boys and Rosie home for the holidays, if you want.” Jughead quickly looked up at her, obvious confusion written on his face. 

“I thought this was your home, Betty?” Jug asked, pausing to search her eyes for some answers. “Would you rather go back there? You’d pick there over here? After everything?” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Just... i wanted to give you some space. If that’s what you wanted.” Betty fumbled with her shirt sleeve, just hoping that he doesn’t call it quits. This was make or break and they both knew it. They could open up and talk about how they’ve been feeling, or they can push it back down and walk away. 

“Of course I don’t want you to go back there.” Jughead signed and rubbed his hands over his face and groaned roughly. “I’ve been a dick haven’t I?” He looked at his girlfriend, just now noticing the disheveled look on her face. It was Betty's turn to shake her head this time. 

“It’s my fault. I’m sorry I cant marry you. I wish I could, but its not what i want and it wouldn't be fair to you. I know we said we can make it work... but we don’t have to.. you know? If its too much.” Betty said, biting the inside corner of her lip to stop it from trembling.

“I meant it when i said you guys make me happy. I’ll admit, it hurt when you turned me down. I had honestly believed you would want to marry me. And maybe I felt a bit like it was because I wasn’t good enough. But i can accept that.” He reached across to stroke her jean clad knee with his thumb. “I don’t want you thinking, because of my actions in the past, that i wouldn’t respect your wishes.” Jughead had already expressed his regrets about how he had treated Donna. He always said he hoped it didn’t reflect negatively on what type of person he was. “It’s been an adjustment, almost like rewiring my brain to stop picturing you as my wife. But I’m in, as long as you are, baby.” He spoke with a low voice, shaking with emotion. “We can get through it, Betts. As long as you still want me.”

“Of course I do.” Betty whimpered, teas brimming. “I don’t want to argue any more, Jug. I just want things back the way they where.” 

“Come here.” Jughead whispered and leaped forward, his hands on either side of her face, pulling her to him and their lips crashing together, thumbs sweeping the tears from her cheeks. Betty used his shoulders for leverage, climbing into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist, slipping her tongue into his mouth. 

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Jug kissed across her cheek, tongue rimming the edge of her ear, his mouth working its way down until his lips latched onto her neck right at her sweet spot. 

“Me too. I love you so much, Jug.” She groaned.

“I love you too, Betty. I don’t ever want to lose you.” He murmured into the soft skin of her neck, arms around her back, snaking up her sweater and squeezing the supple skin at her hips. 

“You wont, Jug. You won’t.” Betty promised, hands in his hair and holding his head in place. “Make love to me. Please.” She begged in a breathless whisper. 

“I’ll meet you upstairs, I’ll just lock up.” He told her, brushing the stray hairs from her face and giving her one more kiss. On her way to their bedroom Betty checked to make sure all the kids where sleeping and all the doors where shut tightly, listening to how Jug slid the deadbolt into place and scaled the steps two at a time to meet her at their bedroom door. His arms where instantly around her, pulling her close. Once they where inside, the door was locked, Jughead wasted no time, stripping Betty down, kissing every inch of bare skin that was exposed to him. Jughead took her to places she had never been before. He would thoroughly worship her body with his hands, and then his mouth, before he allowed her to so much as touch him. Betty had her back pressed up against his chest, his arm around her body to keep her close to him as he fucked into her. Fingernails scoring into flesh as they clawed at each other. And when she came it felt like all the air had been sucked from her lungs, and she gasped for breath as she came down from her tremendous high. 

When they here done, their body’s sticky with sweat, they lay with their limbs entangled and Jughead whispered in her ear how sorry he was, how he’ll never let anything come between them like that again. He was wrong of course. Of the years there where many things they would argue over, but they where always quick to patch things up. Talk about things that where bothering them before it had time to do any damage. But as long as things stayed just how they where, then they where happy.

And thats just how things went. They took the kids to school, went to work, done the grocery shopping, went on random, spare of the moment days out, spent all their holidays and birthdays together. Everyone played their own little part in the family. Betty looked after the kids whenever somebody was sick, Jug was best at explaining things to them. Charlie played whatever game his siblings would want to play, never needing to be bribed, and Samual always came up with the best ones, forever using his imagination. Isabella took on the role of a mini Betty, making sure the boys didn’t play too rough with Rosie and keeping them all out of mischief, all of them already so grown up for their ages and Rosie was the little cherry on top of the sundae, just there to sweeten everybody’s day up, she had everybody wrapped around her finger and she knew it. They ate their dinner together as a family, went to bed, woke up the next day and done it all over again. It was the best kind of Groundhog Day. Change didn't come until about 5 years later, just weeks before Samual’s 12th birthday. It had been unexpected, and they didn't know what to make of it at first. But they knew, together, they could handle anything life would throw at them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short little epilogue.
> 
> Technically this is the last one, but I am open to doing some little one shots based on this story on request, so comment and let me know if there is anything you wanna see!

Epilogue

“So? What did she say?” Jughead asked as Betty climbed into the car outside the doctors office.

“Just as we thought. Baby number 5.” She told him rubbing her hand over her flat stomach, her face positively glowing with sheer happiness.

“Oh Betts. That’s great. That’s really great. Come here. I love you so much.” He told her, leaning across the steering column and hugging her tight, kissing her cheek. They hadn't so much made a conscious decision to start trying, but when Ronnie and Archie welcomed their second baby girl, Amelia, last year they couldn’t stop talking about how cute she was. Betty would say it feels like a life time ago since she held a baby so small and Jughead would say he could barley remember what it was like in that exhausting newborn stage.

“My birth control needs filling.” She had told him at the coffee machine one morning. 

“Betts? What if you just... didn't fill it?” Jughead has suggested. And Betty had thought about it for the couple seconds it took her to sip her freshly brewed coffee.

“Ok. I wont fill it.” She didn't track her ovulation, schedule their sex life or adjust their diets or anything. They just fucked as often as parenting 4 kids could allow and hoped for the best. 

It took a few months, but Betty had expected that after just coming off her birth control. When she was just one day late, she refused to get her hopes up. One week late and maybe, just maybe this was it. She was 2 weeks late when she asked Jughead to pick up the test while she was at work. And once the day was over, laundry put away and Rosie tucked up in bed (the only one who would actually allow her parents to still tuck her in) the older kids all quietly in their bedrooms, Betty went into their en suit and peed on the stick that would tell them their future.

“Being this happy, this time around. It makes me feel so guilty, Jug. I know it’s only about the size of an olive right now, but oh my god, Jughead, I’m already insanely in love with our baby. But I should of been this happy for every one of my pregnancies. I have always loved them, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but this is my fourth pregnancy, Jug. And this is the first time I have ever felt truly happy about it.”

“It’s ok. I understand. Don’t feel bad, Betts.” He would reassure her, pulling her in for a hug.

“Will the baby be Cooper like me and Mommy or Wallis like Charlie and Sammie?” Rosie asked, laying on her stomach across the sofa, head on hands, staring in wonder at her mothers swollen tummy.

“He will be Jones. Just like Daddy and Bella.” Betty told her, stroking over her bump.

“But why?”

“Well when we are born, we take our daddy’s name.” She struggled to find the words to explain to the seven year old. 

“Forever?” Rosie asked innocently.

“Well boys keep their names forever, but girls change theirs when they get married.”

“Then why don’t you have the same name as Daddy?”

“Because me and Daddy didnt get married.” Betty sighed, at a loss.

“But then how is there a baby in your tummy?” The little girl wondered out loud.

Charlie sniggered. When he had first found out about his mothers condition he wasn’t thrilled about the fact that his mother had had sex, being almost 14 years old and at that stage when the mere mention of sex was hilarious, as long as it doesn’t involve your parents

“You’ll understand when your older, Rose.” Jughead explained to her, shooting daggers at the older boy, warning him to watch his mouth.

“If we take our daddy’s names why am I Cooper and Daddy is Jones?” The room went silent and Betty and Jughead shared a look, the older children glancing between them both. They had all been old enough to understand that although not biological, Jughead was their father in every other aspect of the word, and Betty was Isabella’s mother just the same. But Rosie has been barely a year old when they got together and she didn’t understand a world that was anything different, and her parents liked it that way. 

“Rosie. I promise, me and Mommy will explain everything to you when you are older.” Jughead leant his elbows on his knees so he would look her in the eye as they spoke. “But right now all you need to know is that Daddy loves you. And you love Daddy, right?” Rosie nodded her little red head as Jughead tried his best to appease her. “Well then that’s all that matters, sweetie.” He said, kissing her head and changing the subject to where they wanted to order from tonight. 

Alexander Jones came into the world on a sweltering July evening, 2 weeks late and still just a mere 6lb, the smallest of the Cooper/Jones children. “Hi my beautiful baby boy.” Betty had wept when he was finally placed on her bare chest and Jughead was quick to snap some pictures to savour the memory. So many pictures, but she was grateful because Brett had never been this interested when the boys where born, and she had gone through Rosies birth alone, so she was so grateful for Jug for just being there. For making sure she never has to go through anything alone ever again. 

“Your brothers and sisters are all dying to meet you, Alex.” Jughead told the little boy, sleeping soundly in his arms, not even an hour old.

“They can wait until morning. It’s time for us now, babe.” She reached her arm out and he knowingly slid the baby back into her arms before sliding into the bed next to her. He watched her as she ran her fingers through the mass of fluffy raven hair on top of his head, down his little button nose, across his cheek and down under his chin. 

“Thank you, Betts.” She looks at him with those big for eyes that he just can’t resist, “For him, for the boys, and Rosie. And for Bella. Just... for everything. You gave me everything. So thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I originally planned on only doing one chapter but now I’m thinking maybe 2 or 3, we will see. 
> 
> Also this is not Beta’d to any errors are completely my own. This was just floating around my head and I had to get it out.


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